Cambodia Hidden Tries

Once traveling to Cambodia, Angkor Wat is a must –see; however, best Cambodia tours reveal us much more. This personalized Cambodia tour offers a lot of opportunities to explore ruins, villages and more remote natural and best cultural areas of Cambodia.

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Duration: 12 days/11 nights

Tour Code: MCSD09

Tour Valid: Until December 30th, 2013

Highlights: Phnom Penh - Mondulkiri - Kratie - Kampong Cham - Kampong Thom - Siem Reap

• Day 1 - Phnom Penh Arrival

  Place Transport: Airplane->Car 
  Meals: Dinner

  Upon arrival at Phnom Penh airport, we will transfer you to hotel. Visit the Victory Monument and the National Museum, the Royal Palace, built by the French in 1866 on the site of the old town, and Silver Pagoda which is located within the Royal Palace ground. You will then end your tour with a visit to Wat Phnom Temple, Phnom Penh's namesake, from where you can enjoy views over the tree lined avenues of the city during sunset. Stay overnight in Phnom Penh.

  Day 2 - Phnom Penh

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. Visit the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. This former school was used as a prison by Pol Pot’s security forces. It has become the largest cenrer for detention and torture during the rule of the Khmer Rouge. Then we go to the Russian market and the Killing Fields of Choeung Ek. Take a walk along the Mekong River and board the boat for Mekong Sunset Cruise (1 hour). Stay overnight in Phnom Penh.

  Day 3 - Phnom Penh - Mondulkiri

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. Early departure by overland escorted by English or French speaking guide and private car or pick up truck to Mondulkiri, a province of 543 kms north of Cambodia. You will first part of the road from Phnom Penh to Kampong Cham and Snuol is in best conditions. The rest of the road from Snuol to Mondulkiri is dirt road. We will drive through the jungles of Cambodia. Some parts of the road are high plateau or hillside. Please keep your eyes open as you will see many kinds of wild animals crossing the road. Arrives in Senmonorom, a town of Mondulkiri province later in the early evening. Check in at hotel, straight your leg or walk around the hillside of the hotel. Stay overnight in Mondulkiri.

  Day 4 - Mondulkiri

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. We travel 7 Km north of Sen Monorom to visit the village of Pu Lung where elephant treks are organized. Full exploration of the forest by elephant. Lunch on site. This is hard at time but still funny experience and best way to explore the landscape close up. In the mid afternoon, we meet up with our car and diver back to Sen Monorom. Stay overnight in Sen Mornorom.

  Day 5 - Mondulkiri

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. Today, we set off for 37 km on the bumpy road along two rivers to the most famous waterfall, Bousra Waterfall. Along the way, you can explore Bousra beautiful scenery with its rice fields, dense forests and have chance to visit traditional Phnorng villages as well as a coffee and paper plantation. Enjoy the bath at the waterfall. Picnic lunch is included at the side. Return to Senmonorom town in the afternoon and enjoy peaceful walk through the quiet road of Senmonorom. No other places where you can have such a quiet walk like this town. Stay overnight in Senmonorom town.

  Day 6 - Mondulkiri - Kratie

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. We will leave by the same adventure road, through the forests back to the main road at Snuol where we continue to Kratie. Part of the road from Snuol to Kratie is in best conditions. The trip will take you about 5 hours to arrive in Kratie. Check in at hotel. In the afternoon, we will spend our time visiting the Mekong River Dolphins at Prek Kampi Reserved area. The rare water dolphins are available to be seen here only. Stay overnight in Kratie.

  Day 7 - Kratie - Kampong Cham

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. We will leave from Kratie by road to Chhlong District. Chhlong still remains many kinds of colonial houses, buildings and old cultures of the people from the French's time. This is the only place where you can find those old colonial house styles available. We will then continue to Kampong Cham by dirt road. Arrive in Kampong Cham, check in at hotel. Visit Wat Nokhor with its ancient temple and modern style pagoda (12th century). Stay overnight in Kampong Cham.

  Day 8 - Kampong Cham - Siem Reap

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  After breakfast, depart for Kampong Thom. En route, we will stop for the visit to Wat Khear Nokor, and Phum Prasat, continued with Prasat Sambor Prei Kuk, located 35 Km northeast of Kampong Thom. Visit the ancient capital of Chenla with its 100 temples dating from the Pre-Angkorian period. After that, we continue the journey to Siem Reap. Arrival in Siem Reap, check in hotel for relaxation. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

  Day 9 - Siem Reap - Tonle Sap Lake

  Place Transport: Boat 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Breakfast at hotel. This morning is free for your own activities. In the afternoon, depart for Mechrey- a small floating village surrounded by flooded forests of mangrove trees, approximately 10 km from downtown Siem Reap. Board a local boat for a cruise along Tonle Sap Lake. We will pass through mangrove forests, visit a floating primary school, stroll around the Mechrey pagoda situated on a small island surrounded by floating houses. Visit some private houses and a fish farm where we can see first hand how the local people farm fish. The cruise then continues along a broader water-ways, home to a wide variety of bird life. The boat returns to the pier where our waiting vehicle will drive us back to Siem Reap. Enjoy sunset from Phnom Bakheng which is one of two hills dominating the plain of Angkor. From here, you will have a spectacular view of the Western Baray and Angkor Wat. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

  Day 10 - Siem Reap - Roluos Group - Temples

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  This morning, visit the Roluos Group. The monuments of Roluos, which is served as the capital of Indravarman I (reigned from A.D 877-89), are among the earliest permanent temples built by the Khmers and mark the beginning of Khmer classical art. See the temples of Preah Ko (erected by Indravarman I in the late 9th century and dedicated by the King to his ancestors), Bakong (the largest and the most interesting of the Roluos group temples, it has an active Buddisht monastery) and Lolei (was built on an islet in the center of a large reservoir by Yasovarman I, the founder of the first city at Angkor). In the afternoon, continue your temple visits including Prasat Kravan (with its unique brick sculptures), Srah Srang ("The Royal Boths" was once used for ritual bathing), Banteay Kdei (surrounded by four concentric walls), Eastern Mebon (guarded at its corner by stone figures of harnessed elephants, some of which are still in a reasonable state of preservation) and the "Mountain Temple" of Pre Rup until sunset. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

  Day 11 - Siem Reap - Angkor Wat - Angkor Thom

  Place Transport: Car 
  Meals: Breakfast - Lunch

  Have breakfast at hotel and then visit the ancient capital of Angkor Thom (12th century). See the South Gate (with its huge statues depicting the churning of the ocean of milk), Bayon Temple (unique for its 54 towers decorated with over 200 smiling faces of Avolokitesvara), the Royal Enclosure, Phimeanakas, the Elephant Terrace and the Terrace of the Leper King. Then the jungle-like temple of Ta Prohm is embraced by the roots of enormous fig trees and gigantic creepers. In the afternoon, visit the most famous of all the temples on the Angkor plain: Angkor Wat. The temple complex covers 81 hectares and is comparable in size to the Imperial Palace in Beijing. Its distinctive five towers are emblazoned on the Cambodian flag and the 12th century masterpiece is considered by art historians to be the prime example of classical Khmer art and architecture. Angkor Wat's five towers symbolize Meru's five peaks, the enclosed wall represents the mountains at the edge of the world and the surrounding moat symbolizes the ocean beyond. Stay overnight in Siem Reap.

  Day 12 - Siem Reap Departure

  Place Transport: Airplane 
  Meals: Breakfast

  Depending on your departure time from Siem Reap, there are many places to buy some souvenirs at one of the local markets. Trip concludes after transfer to the airport for your flight home. Thanks for traveling with us. Hope you have enjoyed the tour.

  The Tour Inclusion:

  - 11 Nights Accommodation with daily breakfast.
  
  - Pick-ups and transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle as specified in the itinerary above.
  
  - Boat cruises as specified in the program.
  
  - The services of experienced English-speaking guides as indicated in the itinerary.
  
  - Where necessary, entry fees for all visits as mentioned in the program.
  
  - Lunches and dinners (as specified in the itinerary) in the best local restaurants, or picnics where no suitable restaurant is available. 

  The Tour Exclusion:

  - International flight tickets and airport tax.Visas.
  
  - Dinners, except as specified above. 
  
  - Drinks, gratuities and personal expenses. 
  
  - Surcharge for peak season (if any) & other not mentioned in the above detail program.

  Additional Information

  Importance note
  - The itinerary is just a sample of our tours; we'll be pleased to design similar programs with dates and itinerary customized to your personal preferences in Tailor Made Tours section. Rates may vary frequently. Please contact us to get the best possible price based upon your travel period and specific touring needs.
  
  What to bring?
  - Sun Block, Wide brim hat, Camera + Film, Comfortable shoes, Rain gear, Warm clothes, original Passport...
  
  How to start?
  - MinMax Travel is a fully escorted tour and best-available all year round; the only thing you need to prepare in advance is the international air-ticket from/to your country.
  - You can get Cambodia Visa on arrival easily (getting visa at the airport).